The Harry Potter universe may have found its new Professor Albus Dumbledore. John Lithgow has announced that he has been cast to play the headmaster of Hogwarts in the upcoming Harry Potter TV show that will run on HBO. However, HBO issued a statement that they will not confirm casting details until deals are finalized.

HBO has been tight-lipped about casting, so it’s possible that Lithgow has the role but wasn’t supposed to announce his involvement with the show. So far, this is the first casting news for any character in the series.

What we do know is that Francesca Gardiner will be the showrunner. The show will film in the summer of 2025 and is targeting a release timeframe of late 2026 or early 2027.

Lithgow would be the fourth actor to portray Professor Dumbledore onscreen. Richard Harris was the first actor to play Dumbledore, starring in the first two Harry Potter films. After his death, Michael Gambon took on the role for the next six movies in the eight-film series. Jude Law took on the role of a younger Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

Lithgow has been acting for over 50 years, showing off a range that goes from wacky comedy to sinister bad guys. His film roles have included Footloose, Raising Cain, Cliffhanger, Interstellar, Killers of the Flower Moon, Conclave, and he voiced Lord Farquaad in Shrek. On TV, he starred in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, he played a serial killer on Dexter, and portrayed Winston Churchill in The Crown.